Seven of the eight knocked over just one cone during the test, which involves navigating hundreds of the orange obstacles. One got his pink slip after merely nudging one. The CSPD standards are higher than in other police departments, as is its failure rate. Notably, a neighboring police department reports it's dismissed about a half-dozen recruits for failing the driving test over a 21-year period.

CSPD's high failure rate costs taxpayers. For salaries alone, the city paid the eight recruits $150,000 for 18 weeks ($4,166 a month each). If equipment (uniforms, guns, tasers and body armor) is factored in, one recruit guessed the bill at about $200,000.